Sleep Problems Make Workers Unprofessional: Study

Most everyone understands that sleep deprivation can compromise work performance. That said, according to new research, the effects don’t just stop there.

A study out of the University of Arizona suggests that sleep deprivation can actually alter the personality of employees, making them more hostile and less professional. To reach their findings, researchers asked a group of sleep deprived employees to respond to a host of minor job-related issues they might confront on the average work day.

Ultimately, subjects who enjoyed the least amount of sleep acted unprofessionally when compared to the study’s control group, which consisted of well-rested workers. For example, when sleep-deprived participants were forced to respond to several emails containing colloquial language and misspelled words; many grew angry, with some responding with personal attacks.

Improving Sleep Quality

According to the researchers behind the study, sleep issues are fast becoming a widespread problem throughout the country. While some can blame poor lifestyle habits for their sleep issues; others owe their problems to sleep apnea, a serious disorder which causes breathing problems that result in frequent waking.